What me? Kieran Gibbs, left, can’t believe he has been sent off by Andre Marriner (Picture: Glyn Kirk/AFP)

Legendary referee Clive Thomas has called for Andre Marriner and his assistants to be banned for the rest of the season for sending off the wrong player.

Thirty years after hanging up his whistle, Thomas – who was nicknamed The Book for his strict approach – has again courted controversy in a withering attack of refereeing standards on the BBC.

Kieran Gibbs was sent off in Arsenal’s 6-0 defeat at Chelsea yesterday even though Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the man who dived to palm away Eden Hazard’s off-target shot.

‘It was the most disgusting, shocking decision I’ve seen,’ said the 77-year-old Welshman, who feels assistant referees Scott Ledger and Marc Perry and fourth official Anthony Taylor should share the blame with Marriner.

‘In my opinion these four wouldn’t officiate another Premier League game this season.’

At least Marriner has apologised for the case of mistaken identity. A statement by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited said: ‘Andre is disappointed that he failed to identify the correct player. He expressed his disappointment to Arsenal when he was made aware of the issue.’

‘Clive the Book’ was renowned for insisting his decisions were right and there would have been many fans who would have liked to have seen him banned during his refereeing career.

Many Everton fans have never forgiven Thomas for mysteriously disallowing a Bryan Hamilton goal in a 1977 FA Cup semi-final which would have seen them rather than Liverpool go to Wembley.

Even more infamously, at the following year’s World Cup, Thomas’ career at the highest level was effectively ended when he blew for full-time just as Brazilian great Zico was heading the ball into the net in a game against Sweden.